1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to collision attenuating systems and, more particularly, to improved collision attenuating systems for the front ends of railroad trains and other relatively large moving vehicles, and to methods for their use.
2. Description of Related Art
Railroad trains are heavy vehicles that are difficult to stop in emergency situations. Furthermore, railroad trains cannot be steered to avoid pedestrians and other motor vehicles that inadvertently cross the path of a moving railroad train. Railroad trains are extremely heavy relative to pedestrians as well as most motor vehicles including automobiles, sport-utility vehicles, trucks, vans, and buses. The front of a locomotive or a railroad car is typically constructed of a large rigid steel structure that yields minimally, if at all, in the event of a collision with a pedestrian or a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, due to these factors, collisions between railroad trains and pedestrians or between railroad trains and motor vehicles result all too often in fatalities for the pedestrians or for the occupants of the impacted motor vehicles.
Current efforts to reduce such fatalities have focused on collision prevention. Collision prevention techniques include warning devices on the railroad train such as horns and lights, warnings and barriers at railway and pedestrian crossings and as well as railway and motor vehicle crossings. Also, fencing is used along railroad right of ways to restrict access by pedestrians and/or motor vehicles. Unfortunately, pedestrians and motor vehicle operators on occasion accidentally miss, ignore, or deliberately circumvent these warning systems.
One known system for reducing the severity of impact between a train and a land vehicle is disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,205 to Butler. The Butler patent discloses a train collision system in the form of a flatbed car coupled to the front of a train. Disadvantageously, such systems are large and relatively expensive in that an additional railcar is required. Such systems are difficult to store and would occupy space that could be used by other working railcars and locomotives. Such systems may also be very expensive to maintain, replace or recondition, possibly approaching or exceeding the cost of a railcar. Furthermore, such systems are simply ineffective for collisions involving pedestrians.
What is needed is an improved collision attenuating system that overcomes the above and other disadvantages of known collision attenuating devices and collision prevention techniques.
Additionally, when a relatively large moving vehicle, such as a sport-utility vehicle, truck, or bus, impacts a pedestrian or a smaller vehicle, the difference in mass of the two results in an inordinate amount of damage and injury to the pedestrian or occupants of the smaller impacted vehicle.
What is also needed is an improved collision attenuating system that can be utilized on larger moving vehicles while overcoming the above and other disadvantages of known collision attenuating devices and collision prevention techniques.
In summary, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a collision attenuating system for a moving vehicle including an energy-absorbing airbag assembly dimensioned and configured for attenuating the impact between the moving vehicle and a pedestrian or an impacted vehicle located in or crossing the path of the moving vehicle as the pedestrian or impacted vehicle impacts against the airbag assembly, a mounting bracket dimensioned and configured for being affixed to the moving vehicle, an engagement bracket affixed to the airbag assembly and engagable with the mounting bracket, and a quick-release fastener for removably engaging the engagement bracket to the mounting bracket for removably mounting the airbag assembly to the moving vehicle. In one embodiment, the collision attenuating system is mounted to a leading end of a leading railcar supported on a railway.
The airbag assembly may include an airbag and an assembly frame supporting the airbag, the engagement bracket being affixed to the assembly frame. The collision attenuating system may include a plurality of mounting brackets, a plurality of engagement brackets affixed to the assembly frame, and a plurality of quick-release fasteners for releasably engaging respective ones of the mounting and engagement brackets. The collision attenuating system may include a retractable wheel assembly mounted on the assembly frame for selectively raising the airbag assembly. The collision attenuating system may include a lifting mechanism mounting the retractable wheel assembly to the assembly frame. The collision attenuating system may include an energy-absorbing crush structure interconnecting the assembly frame and the engagement bracket. The collision attenuating system may include a shock absorber interconnecting the assembly frame and the engagement bracket.
In one embodiment, the collision attenuating system includes a speed sensor for determining the speed of the vehicle and a pressure regulator for controlling a pressure function of the airbag responsive to the speed sensor. The pressure regulator is an air pressure release valve.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a collision attenuating system for a moving vehicle including an energy-absorbing airbag assembly dimensioned and configured for attenuating the impact between the moving vehicle and a pedestrian or an impacted vehicle located in or crossing the path of the moving vehicle as the pedestrian or impacted vehicle impacts against the airbag assembly, the airbag assembly including an airbag and an assembly frame supporting the airbag, a speed sensor for determining the speed of the vehicle, and a pressure regulator for controlling a pressure function of the airbag responsive to the speed sensor. In one embodiment, the pressure regulator may include an air pressure release valve. Alternatively, the air pressure regulator may include a variable speed inflation fan. The attenuating system may include a mounting bracket dimensioned and configured for being affixed to the moving vehicle, an engagement bracket affixed to the airbag assembly and engagable with the mounting bracket, and a quick-release fastener for removably engaging the engagement bracket to the mounting bracket for removably mounting the airbag assembly to the moving vehicle.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed to a collision attenuating system including an energy-absorbing assembly dimensioned and configured for attenuating the impact between the moving vehicle and a pedestrian or an impacted vehicle located in or crossing the path of the moving vehicle as the pedestrian or impacted vehicle impacts against the energy-absorbing assembly, and an assembly frame for securing the energy-absorbing assembly to the moving vehicle, wherein the airbag assembly may include an upper deflatable airbag, and a lower pedestrian support, the pedestrian support including energy-absorbing structure. The upper deflatable airbag may include at least one internal baffle. The pedestrian support may include a hydraulic shock absorber and/or a pneumatic shock absorber. The pedestrian support may include an energy-absorbing crush structure. The collision attenuating system may include a skid plate located below the pedestrian support. In one embodiment, the energy-absorbing structure is constructed of foam, an air bladder, or a combination thereof.
In one embodiment, the pedestrian support is flexibly supported by the assembly frame such that a leading edge of the pedestrian support moves upward upon at least partial deflation of the upper deflatable airbag due to impact with the pedestrian or impacted vehicle. The collision attenuating system may include a hinge flexibly supporting the pedestrian support on the assembly frame. The collision attenuating system may include a locking retractor configured to prevent downward motion of the leading edge of the pedestrian support. The collision attenuating system may include a speed sensor for determining the speed of the vehicle, and a pressure regulator for controlling a pressure function of the airbag responsive to the speed sensor. In one embodiment, the pressure regulator is an air pressure release valve. The collision attenuating system may include a retractor interlock, wherein the retractor interlock locks the locking retractor once the release valve releases air from the upper deflatable airbag. The collision attenuating system may include a release mechanism for lowering the pedestrian support after the locking retractor is locked. The collision attenuating system may include, a mounting bracket dimensioned and configured for being affixed to the moving vehicle, an engagement bracket affixed to the airbag assembly and engagable with the mounting bracket, and a quick-release fastener for removably engaging the engagement bracket to the mounting bracket for removably mounting the airbag assembly to the moving vehicle.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved collision attenuating system to better reduce the severity of an impact, which cannot be otherwise prevented, between a moving train or other relatively large vehicle and either a pedestrian or another relatively small vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a collision attenuating system configured to capture an impacted pedestrian.
The collision attenuating system of the present invention has other features and advantages that will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, and the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together serve to explain the principles of the present invention.